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Men’s big pot bellies are a known risk factor for heart disease, but a new study suggests that this extra tissue is also bad for bones. The belly fat at issue is the “visceral” fat found deep in the abdomen and considered particularly dangerous for heart health. Investigators at Harvard Medical School evaluated 35 obese men, average age 34, using structural analysis tests to assess their bone strength and predict the risk of future fractures. They reported that men with the biggest bellies and highest amount of visceral fat had lower scores in measurements of bone strength than men with less visceral fat and smaller bellies. The research team used “finite element analysis” (FEA) to come to this conclusion - an engineering method used to assess the strength of materials to determine where a structure can bend or fail and determine the force necessary cause a break. The study was presented November 28, 2012 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Reader Comments (4)

It doesn't matter how much weight i lose, i always have a little belly. It is really annoying. I'm not overweight but I can be and look like a healthy weight, but the belly never goes away. Are you saying any belly is dangerous or just excessive belly fat?

It also will depend on the amount of fat you are carrying on your stomach, if like you say you carry your weight around your stomach this could be bad but if it only a little, it may be a concern. but im not a doctor so don't take my word for it

I found that from my mid 20's when I went back to college a little weight went on stayed. And it has done so in small increments from time to time every since then. I am now 68. Not over weight but slightly more around the middle than I would like to be. 2 years ago I had an operation which slowed me down for about 12 months and then there was a marked weight gain.However since giving away wheat (breakfast cereals in particular) and eating fruit in the morning instead my weight has slowly but steadily reduced. Adding more vegetables to the midday meal has also proved beneficial.Personally I think many of our problems stem from the ubiquitous occurrence of wheat products in so many of our modern 'foods'